


Through her eyes

by Antares10



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Bad Puns, COULD be seen as the start of SansxGrillbyxToriel too, Fluff, Friendship, Grillby and Toriel meeting, M/M, OT3 for the win and all that, Other, Romance, Sans is in love, Toriel being bitter, Toriel knows stuff about romance, but it's just Sansby right now, dealing with the past, might get other chapters, sansby - Freeform, toriel-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-11 19:09:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15978602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antares10/pseuds/Antares10
Summary: Toriel enjoyed the talks with her mysterious friend a lot. She knew him very well already. So it was no surprise that she picked up on her friend being very much in love with a certain fire elemental.Of course she'll support him! And also think back on her own experiences and memories.





	Through her eyes

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a conversation in the Sansby Discord and didn't let me go until I wrote it down... it got a lot more Toriel-centric than I intended too. XD
> 
> I might write more chapters at a later date but for how this is what it is. Have fun with it.

The Ruins were rather small when you got used to it. Especially when you were a rather tall monster to begin with. that was a fact.

Also, despite being rather small, it got lonely quick. Froggits, Spiders, Whimsums, Moldsmals, Vegetoids, Loox and Migosps... all of these were usually monster that kept to themselves. Especially when you were not only a rather tall monster, but a bossmonster, the former queen of the Underground.

 

Toriel sometimes regretted her exile. It was lonely and small and there were not many things her that could take off her mind of the past, of her hurt and pain or the frustration and bitterness and anger that came when her tears finally dried out. The Ruins were still her home of course, were her home once before monsterkin became brave enough to explore the caves they were sealed in.

But despite all of this, sometimes she felt like living in a prison of her own making, of stone and puzzles and memories and bittersweet feelings.

 

Some days she would walk around the small patch of flowers, the grave where she buried one of her dead children. She would water the flowers, look up to the small sliver of sunlight and try to remember how wind and rain and sunshine had felt. Some days she would remember. Some days the memory was comfort for her, hope for better times to come. Some days the memories only left her feeling cold and empty and served only as a reminder of what she had lost in her long, long life.

 

Some days she wouldn't go to the flower patch at all, spending the time inside her house. Some days she would sit down at the door.

 

In the past the door had served as protection, separating the ruins, home, from the rest of the Underground. The monster had fled to the farthest corner of the Underground after the barrier went up, terrified that the humans would decide to come down and finish what they had started. So the monster had huddled together, scared and hopeless and beaten and hurting. So she and Asgore had made this door. It was not just a simple old door. Old magic had gone into it. It was heavy and nearly indestructible and could be opened only from the side of the Ruins. Opening the door from the other side was impossible, no matter what happened.

 

The door had once served as the last protection against any invading humans. Now it was the very thing separating Toriel from the rest of the Underground. In a way it still made Toriel feel safe. She could still open the door. She didn't want to and would never do so but... it was nice to be reminded that there was an option. She had chosen this. She was not banished, she went into her own exile. It was her choice, she was in control.

 

It made it easier on the hard days.

 

Everything changed when she heard the first knock.

 

The first knock, the first joke, the first laugh since forever and the first real friend she made since forever. He didn't know who she was, what she looked like, what her story was. He never asked. She never asked him too. They were just two lonely souls sharing jokes and laughter and company.

 

Soon the door became something new to her. A portal of communication. A means to hear and talk to her dear new friend.

 

He didn't told her much about himself usually but over the time, she collected snippets of information, putting them together like a particular difficult puzzle.

 

He was a skeleton monster and pretty small judging from where his voice came from. He lived in Snowdin. He was still rather young but seemed pretty burdened. He had a brother he simply adored, who loved puzzles and cooking and making friends. He talked about other residents of Snowdin too. The Dog guards and bunny family, the fish monster that was searching for love and the red bird monster that loved languages and tried studying all sorts of them in his free-time.

But the most he talked about a flame elemental with the name Grillby. Toriel was surprised to hear that a flame had set up camp in Snowdin, after all, it was not the most comfortable for them but Sans had ensured her that Grillby liked the town so much he stayed and the townsfolk apparently liked him a lot too.

 

Toriel had collected a lot of information about this Grillby. He owned the bar and grill in the town, was the center of social gatherings and lunch-breaks. He was a red-orange flame, tall and with glasses and liked things neat and orderly but would still let Sans drink straight from the ketchup bottle. He didn't speak much but his laughs sounded like a roaring fire and his eyes were white but barely visible behind his glasses. He didn't get angry very often, being of an even temper and fair to everybody around him, willing to listen to both sides of an argument.

 

Sans told her much much more of him and some of the details were becoming... interesting. She knows that his fingers are long and warm, that he got a mouth he seldom showed, that his teeth are looking like melted lava and that he was apparently warm to the touch and able to control how hot his fire felt to whoever was touching him...

 

It took Toriel an embarrassing long time to start catching on to the fact just how many details she had collected this way about this Grillby. Also that Sans had a very obvious, very very deeply running crush on the bartender.

 

Now that she knew what she was looking for it was almost painful to hear. The skips in his voice, the small compliments he didn't realized he was making, the soft yearning in his tone... it reminded Toriel of things long, long past. She had no idea how her friend looked like but she still imagined him making all the expressions to his tone, some soft blushing and bright shining eyes that light up whenever he talks about the person that let his soul vibrate with something deep and warm and light.

 

Stars, it had been centuries but it came all back to Toriel how she used to feel. The excitement, the little joys in each new detail explored, the endearing and adoration and affection... Young love was simply beautiful.

It took her by surprise when she didn't even feel the old bitterness she could usually almost taste whenever she thought of anything related to Asgore. Seeing a pair of monster in love was like ash in her mouth... but now she just felt the sunny and warm feeling in her soul whenever it was so obvious her friend had more than just a few tender feelings for that flame monster.

 

She was happy for him.

 

And when he she heard the first, really deep sign coming from her friend, she knew she just had to help him.

 

“You seem in a deep mood today my friend.”

 

“Heh... I think I'll go... under in this.”

 

“What is on your mind then?”

 

“I dunno... it is... kinda stupid.”

 

“Could it be connected to a certain flame elemental you seem to have taking a shining to?”

 

“Heh... good on.” her friend said, but more subdued than usually.

 

“Why are you sighing so deeply then?”

 

“I just... I dunno...” her friend mumbled and there was a strong pity going right through Toriel's soul.

 

“You really like him huh?”

 

There was silence for a while before her friend talked again. “Is it that obvious?”

 

“For somebody knowing you yes.” she chuckled. “Where is the big problem?”

 

“I...” her friend hesitated before continuing. “I never really... did this before. I never... I never really cared that much.”

 

“But you do now?”

  
“I... I guess so? It's all new to me.”

  
“Caring in general or about somebody in this way?”

 

“I guess in this way? I mean... I care about my brother and I... there are things I cared about in the past.” her friend mumbled. “It just... faded all a bit in the past.”

 

“And now that... flared up?”

 

“Ayyyyye, I see what you did there.”

 

“Were you not blended by your beau's beautiful light?”

 

Her friend laughed again. “In a way?”

  
“So, will you tell him about your affection for him?”

 

“Oh man, lady, you are asking the big ones now huh?” mumbled her friend. “I... I honestly don't know. He is so... HIM and I am just... this random guy who comes over every day and kinda crushes on him hard and... you haven't SEEN him, lady he is just so... elegant. Tall. Totally out of any reach.”

 

“Oh, come on my friend.” Toriel said gently, not standing for her friend belittling himself. “You are an exceptionally good soul. Everybody would be lucky to be receiving your favor.”

 

“I dunno.” her friend said. “I am really no prince charming material.”

 

Toriel remembered a dirt-covered goat, looking at her with big eyes with freshly-picked weeds in his paws and a deep magical blush on his face which was especially well visible because he was sitting in the dirt after having falling on his fluffy butt. He certainty was no prince charming material too but Toriel had learned the lesson about appearance and true self a long time ago.

 

“That does not matter.” she said gently. “My friend, I never saw you and I still know you pretty well. And if this barkeeper you fancy so much is just half the monster you are making him out to be, he would know that you are so much more.”

 

“You... you really think so?”

 

“I know so my friend.”

 

“Heh... I... thanks.”

 

“So will you talk to him?”

 

“Just... how?”

 

Toriel chuckled. “Well I can maybe give you some tips, my friend. Just this once.”

 

They spend an hour talking that day, with Toriel relating all her help she could to her friend.

 

Her friend returned the next days with mixed results. He lost his nerves talking to his sweetheart directly and instead told a joke. The bartender apparently had laughed but hadn't caught on to the meaning.

The next attempt was giving the flame flowers. Toriel had instructed her friend in the language of flowers but he hadn't be able to find any of them and the Echo flower he got from waterfall died in the freezing air of Snowdin.

He tried giving Grillby other gifts next, small stones or crystals but while he seemed to keep the gifts, he still didn't know what to do.

Toriel next gave her friend some ancient courting formulas, careful worded phrases and code-words... which seemed to fall on deaf ears. Grillby apparently seemed either confused or bemused by the display but hadn't answered with the right words or gestures.

 

“URGH I just don't know anymore!” her friend exclaimed after two weeks of failed attempts to let the flame know of his feelings. “Nothing is working!”

 

“You could just tell him that you love him just like that.”

 

“But... but...!”

 

“Clearly no other more subtle approach had helped my friend.”

 

The voice of her friend became a bit muffled, now sounding like speaking through fabric... AND a giant stone door.

 

“But I can't...”

 

“Why not?”

 

“He will laugh at me.”

 

“My friend, you told me yourself about all he did for you, how he was such a big support when your mind is troubled... do you really think he would do something like that?”

 

“... No.”

 

“Ask him for a talk. Somewhere quiet. And just tell him...”

 

She trailed off, old memories surfacing without her prompting. Memories of a nervous monster, shuttering and voice still cracking a bit, asking her to meet her after her lessons, of shaking hands giving her golden flowers and the sound of a deep breath before the words came out, words she had expected but still was surprised by.

 

“... tell him you love him.” she said softly. “Tell him he is so important to you, such a part of your life... that you couldn't imagine living without him. I am sure he will understand.”

 

There was a long silence and for a moment Toriel was afraid that her friend had left while she was lost in her own memories but after a while there was a small sound coming from the door.

 

“Okay.”

 

And her friend didn't return to her door for a week.

 

 

 

 

A lot of things happened during that week. A human had fallen, a child with a curiosity that reminded her painfully of her lost ones. A child she knew she couldn't keep in the ruins. She talked to her friend after his week long absent only once, not even having time to hear what the result of his latest attempt of wooing the flame was.

 

“If a human child came through the door... would you look after them?”

 

“... I promise.”

 

She still didn't like it but she had to let the child go. At least she knew there was somebody looking out for them after all.

 

 

 

 

When everything was said and done, things fell into places quickly. Frisk freed the monster, became her child and the ambassador to all monster. They settled mostly around the mountain, building small houses and made peace with the humans. She met her mysterious friend of the first time, got to know his name and saw Asgore for the first time in a long, long time.

 

There was still anger and bitterness in her, but the worst edge had been taken off, the worst hurt had healed over. She started to view some memories with fondness now, a melancholic and nostalgic feeling whenever she looked at him or things that held memories of them both together.

 

They might never get back to what they were but Toriel felt ready to try and be friends again. Baby steps.

 

And her friend, who was named Sans and was a skeleton of all things, led her to meet the one she knew so much about already.

 

Grillby's was a rather small bar to be honest, but it was warm and homey and Toriel liked it from the start. Also it was really easy to see who had captured Sans's attention for such a long time. Grillby himself was standing behind a counter, looking up when he heard Sans's greeting and his flames shifting just a bit to the blue spectrum and the flickering of his flames indicating a mix of joy and affection that Toriel wondered why Sans had never picked up on the feelings of the bartender before. Such signs wouldn't be there if this was just a little crush, flames have to feel a deep feeling for a certain period of time until their flames flickered in THAT way...

 

… and then Toriel realized that Sans most likely never met another flame before and that the elementals were not the easiest people to read if you don't have centuries of experience.

 

Her musings were interrupted when Grillby leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss on Sans's skull as a greeting. Something inside her soul just melted seeing them both smile at each other. Next she knew Sans had taken her hand and pulled her to the bar.

 

“Grillby, I wanna have you meet my good friend, Toriel. Tori, this is Grillby my... uh...”

 

“... boyfriend.” Grillby finished the sentence before bowing his head. “It is a... pleasure meeting... you.”

 

Toriel chuckled softly at the rather old-fashioned way of talking. “The pleasure is right mine. I heard Sans here had taken a shine to you.”

 

Grillby's flame flickered a tiny bit before grinning just the slightest bit. “I am sure... I held barely a candle... to you.”

 

Toriel laughed out loud while Sans beamed at both of them. Toriel pointed at Grillby and leaned to Sans to mock-whisper at him.

 

“This one is a keeper, my friend.”

 

“I know.” said Sans, eye-lights shining as bright as the stars in the night. “He's the best.”

 

Toriel had to agree with Sans on that. Grillby turned out to be pleasant company, soft spoken words that hid his sharp wit and a way with puns that indicated a long and strong friendship with Sans. Toriel also was delighted that he was old enough to remember some parts of the surface before the war, having been just barely an adult when the monster were sealed away. Toriel enjoyed talking to somebody who had the perspective of age, who remembered and could judge by their memories and not just hear-say.

But the best part was just watching the bartender and her friend interact with each other, both of them sinking into their little world from time to time. Little smiles and little jokes, sometimes just a word would set one of them off and lead the other into a healthy laughter too.

 

Melancholy and Nostalgia came back to Toriel, memories of other people and an other time, but still the same deep feeling as she was allowed to witness just now.

 

And like a miracle, it didn't hurt at all anymore, it was just warm and a slight ache and she felt herself smile at the beauty that was her friend's happiness.

 

_Onmake:_

 

“ _Grills? What's up? You look all fired up?”_

 

“ _... the queen.”_

 

“ _huh?”_

 

“ _Stars, Sans, you made friends with the QUEEN.”_

 

“ _Ex-queen and she doesn't like being called that.”_

 

“ _STILL. Can anybody resist your charm?”_

 

“ _Awwww don't worry, Grillby. You're always the light of my life.”_

 


End file.
